Introduction

Welcome to a vibrant city that is known for its unforgettable
history, incredible skyline, unparalleled
architecture and a beautiful lakefront, CHICAGO!
This lively and dynamic city, filled with world-class
museums, superb shopping, championship sports, exquisite
dining and entertainment provides something
for everyone.

Travel around Chicago and discover all of the fascinating
attractions that you won’t want to miss: Field
Museum of Natural History, Millennium Park which
houses the most sophisticated outdoor concert venue
of its kind in the U.S, Navy Pier - the city’s lake-front
playground, the “Magnificent Mile” of unparalleled
shopping and the phenomenal skyscrapers which dot
the city’s skyline.

Birthplace of the skyscraper, one of Chicago’s most
identifiable claims to fame resides in its architecture.
Learn about the architects, such as Frank Lloyd Wright,
who influenced the city’s architecture and view their
creations.

Spend a day at Chicago’s museum campus and say
hello to Sue, the largest most complete and best preserved
Tyrannosaurus rex fossil ever discovered at
the Field Museum. View the most diverse display of
sharks in North America at the Shedd Aquarium.

Libraries

Since first opening its doors to the public in 1873, the Chicago Public Library has maintained its status of one of the City's most democratic of institutions — providing all Chicagoans with a free and open place to gather, learn, connect, read and be transformed. The Chicago Public Library has 79 locations, and the Harold Washington Library is the main and largest location. Locate a branch: http://www.chipublib.org/library/locator/

The Newberry Library is an independent research library concentrating in the humanities with an active educational and cultural presence in Chicago. Free and open to the public, it houses an extensive non-circulating collection of rare books, maps, music, manuscripts, and other printed material. The Newberry offers exhibits based on its outstanding collections, musical and theatrical performances, lectures and discussions with today's leading humanists, seminars, and teacher programs. Anyone who is at least 16 years old and who is conducting research on a topic covered by the collections may become a reader. Please see the "Research at the Newberry" section of www.newberry.org for more information on obtaining a reader's card.

During the 2009 ALA Annual the Newberry is offering self-guided tours for conference attendees. The hours for these self-guided tours are the regular Library hours (Tuesday-Saturday 9 am – 5 pm). Please present your ALA badge when arriving at the Newberry, and a brochure will be provided that offers some guidance for your exploration of the Library.

Open T-F 10am-4pm, Su 12-4pm. Hull House was one of the first settlement houses in the U.S. It is now part of the College of Architecture and the Arts at the University of Chicago. The Museum's collection includes over 1,100 artifacts related to Hull House history and over 100 oral interviews.

The only museum in the Midwest with an exclusive commitment to the medium of photography. Free admission. Open M-Sa 10am-5pm, Su 12-5pm. -An interesting museum, but it looks like it is between exhibitions during Annual. There is no permanent collection here.

Museum of Holography 1134 West Washington Blvd, (312) 226-1007

A museum of holograms that's open Wed-Su 12:30pm-4:30pm. $5 admission.

Tickets must be purchased in advance by phone or online. Seperate tickets are needed for the Home and Robie House.

Highlights on Roads Less Taken

by Peggy Sullivan; from American Libraries

Among Chicago’s many museums and art collections are some unique smaller venues beyond the Museum Campus that may appeal to visitors who think they’ve seen it all. Selected idiosyncratically, these suggested sites are, for the most part, near downtown hotels, McCormick Place, and other locations where ALA conference-goers will be anyway. The Museum of Science and Industry, while among the “biggies,” is included because of a special exhibit that will be there during the conference.

Clarke House Museum
“Chicago’s oldest house”—built in 1836 but moved twice—features historic period rooms and heirloom gardens. It is open to the public only through tours offered by the nearby Glessner House Museum (1800 S. Prairie Ave.) at noon and 2 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Admission is $10, or $15 for tours of both houses, and Wednesday is free. 1827 S. Indiana Ave., 312-326-1480 for tours.

Cycle Smithy
This working bike shop features several dozen bicycles, dating back over the past 60 years or so, displayed on the ceiling. Free admission; open daily. 2468½ N. Clark St., 773-281-0444.

Loyola University Museum of Art
July exhibits: “Rodin: in His Own Words,” featuring 36 bronzes, books, and letters; and “Paris-Chicago: The Photography of Jean-Christophe Ballot” in a gallery just steps away from Chicago’s landmark Water Tower. Admission is $6, Tuesday free; closed Monday. 820 North Michigan Ave., 312-915-7600.

McCormick Tribune Bridgehouse and Chicago River Museum
The southwest tower of the Michigan Avenue Bridge across the Chicago River houses this three-year-old museum. Visitors can view the 89-year-old gears built to raise and lower the bridge plus chronologically arranged reproductions of documents and photos that tell the story of the city and its river. Admission is $3; closed Tuesday and Wednesday. 376 N. Michigan Ave., 312-977-0227.

Museum of Science and Industry
“Harry Potter: The Exhibition” has its world premiere run while Annual is in town. More than 200 costumes and props from the films will be on display in settings inspired by the film sites. Open daily; general admission is $13 and the Harry Potter exhibit is an additional $13. 57th St. and S. Lake Shore Dr., 773-684-1414.

Newberry Library
“Make Big Plans: Daniel Burnham’s Vision of an American Metropolis” will be on exhibit at the Newberry and at many libraries in and around Chicago as part of the centennial celebration of Burnham’s Plan of Chicago. Free admission; closed Sunday. 60 W. Walton St., 312-943-9090.

Oriental Institute, University of Chicago
In July, one of the five galleries will feature “The Life of Meresamun: A Temple Singer in Ancient Egypt.” New technologies in CT scanning have revealed more details about this encased mummy. $7 suggested donation; closed Monday. 1155 E. 58th St., 773-702-9514.

Regenstein Library, University of Chicago
Special Collections is featuring a knockout exhibit, “On Equal Terms: Educating Women at the University of Chicago,” based on materials in the University’s archives. Accompanied by a handsome catalog, this exhibit is sure to elicit nostalgia for one’s own college days and appreciation for the development of education for women at Chicago from its beginnings. Free admission; closed Sunday, and this exhibit closes July 14. 1100 E. 57th St. 773-702-8705.

Riverwalk Gateway Murals
Ellen Lanyon’s 336-foot-long creation in painted tiles is the city’s largest piece of public art, telling the history of the city and the river from 1673 to 2000. Free admission. South Bank of the Chicago River at Lake Shore Drive and Wacker Drive.

Spertus Museum
“A Force for Change: African American Art and the Julius Rosenwald Fund” memorializes Rosenwald’s support of African-American artists with more than 60 paintings and visual presentations of two dancers. Open Sunday, Wednesday, and Thursday; admission is $7 but free Wednesday morning and Thursday after 2 p.m. 610 S. Michigan Ave., 312-322-1700.